Santiago de Chile, a city of extremes,
is surrounded by the world’s longest mountain range, driest desert, largest
ocean and southernmost grassy plains. The cosmopolitan South American capital
has the perfect mix of both historic and ultra-modern attractions.
The lively Plaza de Armas houses the divine Metropolitan Cathedral and the National History Museum. Santa Lucía Hill is the place where the city was founded by the Spanish in the 16th-century and the Chilean Museum of pre-Colombian Art shows what life was like here before colonial rule.
La Moneda Palace is the seat of government and the place of Augusto Pinochet’s 1973 military coup. The Museum of Memory and Human Rights documents the dictator’s repressive regime.
Santiago has many city parks. Parque Bicentenario is in Vitacura, while the sculptures of Parque de las Esculturas are in Providencia. Centrally located Parque Forestal, houses the Museum of Contemporary Art. Nearby is Centro Cultural Estación Mapocho, in a former train station.
Find colorful street art, craft shops and sidewalk cafés in Bellavista. From this neighborhood, you can access Cerro San Cristóbal to look back at Santiago one more time before exploring Chile’s many natural treasures.
The lively Plaza de Armas houses the divine Metropolitan Cathedral and the National History Museum. Santa Lucía Hill is the place where the city was founded by the Spanish in the 16th-century and the Chilean Museum of pre-Colombian Art shows what life was like here before colonial rule.
La Moneda Palace is the seat of government and the place of Augusto Pinochet’s 1973 military coup. The Museum of Memory and Human Rights documents the dictator’s repressive regime.
Santiago has many city parks. Parque Bicentenario is in Vitacura, while the sculptures of Parque de las Esculturas are in Providencia. Centrally located Parque Forestal, houses the Museum of Contemporary Art. Nearby is Centro Cultural Estación Mapocho, in a former train station.
Find colorful street art, craft shops and sidewalk cafés in Bellavista. From this neighborhood, you can access Cerro San Cristóbal to look back at Santiago one more time before exploring Chile’s many natural treasures.
The Best Things to Do in Santiago de Chile
Santiago is the capital city of Chile, with a population of
more than 5.4 million people. Lots of travelers come to Santiago when
they are headed to some other places in South America or Chile. Therefore, it’s
traditionally not considered as a tourist place itself. However, Santiago is a
city with so much to offer for travelers who make a stop here during
their South America tours. This large area between the Pacific Ocean and the
Andes mountain range has so many attractions which you certainly
can’t miss.
If you are looking for a one-day tour with interesting things to
do in Santiago de Chile, there’s a lot of great attractions available in
this beautiful city surrounded by mountains. To start, you’ll definitely enjoy
every bit of the Mediterranean climate over there. The raining-free season in Santiago goes
from October to May, giving a good deal of windows for the traveler
to enjoy the city. Let’s take a look at some suggestions for the top
things to do in Santiago.
1. Shopping in
Santiago’s Most Trendy Districts
If
you’re in the cosmopolitan Santiago,
then shopping is definitely a must. Alto Las Condes,
Costanera Center or Parque Arauco,
among others, are well-known modern shopping malls located in trendy areas of
Santiago where you can find almost everything you need. But you can
do so much more than shopping in Santiago’s shopping malls. These malls have
great restaurants that serve local and international dishes. You’ll also find
bowling alleys, arcades and movie theaters… to sum up, the whole entertainment
pack for a traveler in search of things to do in a rush visit toSantiago!
2. Dancing and Enjoying Santiago’s
Nightlife
A
trip to Santiago is incomplete without some music and
dancing. If you’re a fan of salsa dancing, there are many live salsa shows
in Santiago where you can learn a thing or two! There are so many dance clubs
with live bands. We’d suggest you to visit theHavana Salsa club,
as it’s a fine place to hear and dance some old-school salsa music. But don’t
worry if you’re one of those who hates that dirty-dancing thing,
and just want to mingle with locals enjoying a couple of drinks. There’s a lot
of things to do in Santiago for
nightlife lovers, in bohemian districts like Bellavista, bustling, modern areas like Nuñoa or upscale districts like Las Condes or Paseo San Darmián. These are the nightlife hubs
in Santiago, with a wide offer of bars, clubs and restaurants for every taste.
3. Visiting
the Plaza De Armas Square
Just like in many other South america
cities, walking around the main square is one of the best things to do in Santiago. The Plaza
de Armas Square is
the former city center, and it attracts thousands of tourists and locals every
day. This place ALWAYS has some sort of event being held, as well as so many
historical tales to tell you. One major sightseeing spot here is the Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedral
Metropolitana de Santiago).
If you are passionate about taking pictures don’t forget to bring a tripod, since
you’ll surely take a few nice shots in Plaza
de Armas square and
the beautiful cathedral over there —there is no admission fee involved
there. Additionally, if you’re a history buff, then you should check out the
nearby Museo de Arte Sagrado, a religious-art
museum with lots of Colonial pieces to appreciate.
4. Enjoying
the Andean View of Santiago
Yes, this is probably the most important thing to do while in Santiago. Since the city is surrounded by Andean hills and
snow mountains, you’ll get to enjoy the amazing scenery from one of the many
viewpoints in Santiago. For example, just go to San Cristobal Hill (Cerro
San Cristóbal, in
Spanish), from where you’ll enjoy a panoramic view of the Santiago which
leave you breathless! The mighty Andes in the background and the
entire city extending at your feet is indeed a stunning sight. You can climb up
the hill by walk, car, bike or taking the funicular. Once in San Cristobal, there are so many things to do there as well, as you can go
for hiking or a bike ride around this beautiful hill. If you have enough time,
don’t miss the beautiful sunsets Santiago indulge its visitors.
5. Visiting La
Chascona
La Chascona literally
means the tangled haired women, and it’s a museum dedicated to the
world-renowned poet Pablo Neruda, who lived there once with his
third wifeMatilde Urrutia. La Chascona Museum is located at Bellavista district, and it has a great
collection of items from all over the world, as well as memorabilia from the
1971 Nobel-prize winner. Inside the museum, you’ll find rooms that will make
you feel like you were aboard a ship. You can also enjoy a great view of Santiago from here. La Chascona is one of the 3 Santiago museums
dedicated to Pablo Neruda, and the other two are not
that far away, you should definitely check them out!
6. Attending
to a Local Football Game
If you are a football (or soccer, for US)
fan, then watching a Chilean
Futbol game is
one of the best things to do in Santiago, without question! People in Chile are quite
passionate about football, like in many other countries in South America. Lots
of chileans lose their minds about their teams and, every week, Santiago’s
major stadiums like the Estadio
Nacional and
the Estadio Monumental bring together thousands of people from
diverse backgrounds, religions and social levels, all of them with one thing in
common: the football fever!
Enjoying the game along with an enthusiastic crowd would be an experience you
don’t want to forget, especially if it features major Chilean clubs like Colo-Colo, Universidad de Chile or the National
team of Chile, known
as La Roja.
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